RFE/RL Central Asia Report
2/14/2011 8:35:55 PM
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the five countries of Central Asia.
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Uzbek Refugees Turn To Kazakh Parties
The wives of 29 Uzbek asylum seekers currently held in detention in Almaty have appealed to opposition parties and the presidential Nur-Otan party for help for their husbands. More 
Kazakh Candidate: I Have 'No Chance'
The leader of a Kazakh environmental group says he will run for president even though he has "no chance" of winning. Mels Eleusizov, the head of the Nature Environmental Union, made his announcement today at the National Press Club in Almaty. More 
Tajik, 76, Held On Terror Charges
The daughter of an elderly Tajik man being held for links to terrorists has asked the parliament speaker to intervene in his case. More 
Kazakh Opposition Boycotts April Vote
The Kazakh opposition party Azat says it intends to boycott the country's early presidential polls in April, which long-standing leader Nursultan Nazarbaev is all but certain to win. More 
Kazakhstan, Not Practicing What It Preaches, Puts Minority Religions Under Pressure
Religious experts say there has been a sharp decline in legal, social, and political protections over the last several years for religious minorities in Kazakhstan, driven by government propaganda and discrimination, despite the state's depiction of itself as a country where all of its diverse religious communities feel at home. More 
Dictators, They Aren’t Kissing Your Hand Because They Love You
The Egypt scenario that has shaken the world could spread to many post-Soviet countries where some aging presidents have been ruling for more than two decades. Seemingly tranquil now, Egypt-style civil disobedience cannot be ruled out in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, or Belarus – all countries where dictatorship, nepotism, and corruption are flourishing. More 
Nazarbaev Passes Language Test
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev passed the mandatory Kazakh-language test today to qualify for the upcoming presidential election. More 
Tajik Leader Orders Mosque Crackdown
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has instructed his security services to tighten control over religious education and mosques, which he said were often used to foment religious radicalism. More 
Kyrgyz Officlal Fired In Language Flap
The head of a state body for developing the Kyrgyz language has been sacked over a plan to de-Russify place names. More 
Kyrgyz President Replaces State News Chief After Journalists Strike
Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbaeva replaced the controversial chief of the Kabar National News Agency today. More 
Tajik Weekly Convicted Of Libel
A Tajik court has found an independent weekly guilty of libel and ordered it to pay the Agriculture Ministry damages over an article that accused the ministry of corruption. More 
Islamic Party Slams Tajik Government
Tajikistan's main opposition party accused the government today of violating civil rights and neglecting its people. More 
Turkmens To Hold Horse Pageant
Turkmenistan is set to host an international beauty contest for horses. Specifically, judges will be looking to select the most beautiful horse of the Akhal-Teke breed. The horse pageant is set for the last Sunday of April, fittingly known as the “Day of the Turkmen Horse” -- a national holiday. More 
Tajik Students, Just Stay In Egypt
Tajik authorities seem to be in no rush to bring home the dozens of Tajik madrasah students who are trapped in Egypt and pleading with their embassy in Cairo to help them leave. More 
Tashkent On The Nile
As I sit glued to my television watching the unprecedented developments in Egypt, I can’t help but think about my far-off home of Uzbekistan. More |
